- Chapter Two -
I had arrived on the outskirts of a rather unfamiliar place. I scanned my surroundings and pinpointed a village just to the north, towards which I had begun to walk. Nosgoth had indeed changed since I last roamed its surface. The foliage was confined to small areas that had once been the vast forests of yesterday. Now silenced were the exuberant sounds of nature - the birds, the creatures of the night. The sky was cloudless while the air reeked of tyranny. I shook my head at what this land had become - what Kain had forced it to become. It was then that I had begun to question whether or not this had been his intention - to damn Nosgoth for a second time. I continued to walk towards the village, cautious of my every step. I paused for a moment to look over a solitary sign that stood in the path before me. "Uschtenheim" - it read. Uschtenheim still stands?
"Aye. It is not wise to tread here, vampire." A husky voice spoke out to me. I instantly turned to the direction from which the voice had come, and was greeted by a portly gentleman slowly emerging from the shadows. I drew my blade and thus prepared myself for battle. The man merely snickered. "Fear not, creature. I mean no harm to ye."
"Who are you, and how did you know what I am?" I demanded as I hesitantly sheathed my blade. The man waddled his way to a nearby boulder and carefully eased himself upon it. "I know more than most. It is my curse, if ye will." The man smiled to me through a toothless grin. "I dun believe I've had the pleasure of making yer acquaintance, pretty one." He said as he extended his grubby little hand. "They call me, Breckins."
I refused his hand and responded not, yet somehow the little beast found amusement in this. "And a feisty one ye are." He chuckled as he shrugged. "Ah well, no matter to me, but to them folks in Uschtenheim, they may not take kindly to ye an' yer ways."
I stared back off towards the village of Uschtenheim for a moment, pondering on whether or not continuing my path was indeed a wise decision. "Tell me, Mr. Breckins, where does a creature such as myself find others of her kind?" I inquired.
Breckins chuckled. "Ye be lookin' for Sanctuary, is that it Lass?"
I simply nodded, trying not to seem too eager in locating the rest of my race. Breckins removed himself from the boulder and approached me. Taking my hand into his, he pulled me to bend over, where he looked around before whispering into my ear. "There be a city of to the northwest, but I warn ye, they do not take kindly to strangers."
I rose back to fully stand. "And what of this city? What is it called? How will I know when I reach it?"
Breckins smiled. "My dear I'm afraid ye wun miss it. It's a fortress - massive in size." He described as he flailed his arms about in order to give me a better idea. "Travel on to the abyss, then off to the northwest, and there ye'll be greeted by the Citadel."
"The Citadel?" I questioned. "What kind of establishment is that?"
The sound of villagers approaching from Uschtenheim caught my ear, as Breckins was about to reveal his information. "Hurry on with ye, Lass, ye haven't much time. Trust me. The Citadel will protect you."
"There's one! Get it!" Shouted a villager.
I would soon find myself in quite the predicament. As I took off running into the woods, I glanced back and found the little man, Breckins, defending me, by fighting with my would-be attackers. As I vanished into the cover of the forest, I knew that I could no longer properly navigate my way. I stopped briefly, scanning my entire surroundings for a way out. Again, I could hear the angry mob of villagers fast approaching with their dogs hot on my trail. "She went this way, c'mon!" One shouted.
I was quick to draw in a deep breath as I began to focus on the only place that I still remembered from the top of my head - the Pillars. I opened my eyes and was greeted with a villager drawing his sword upon me, but before he could strike me down, I vanished from sight - evading death once more.
I appeared in the meadow, totally encircled by mist and very disoriented. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I began to relax from my recent ordeal. My eyes were quick to focus on a massive doorway leading into an ornate temple nearly fifty yards from where I stood. Where was I now? I tried to probe into the deepest recesses of my own mind to remember that doorway and the temple, but alas, I had come up empty handed.
Fearing a defeat in my rushed teleportation, I lowered my head and began walking in the direction of the strange building. I looked around, procrastinating my venture inside. As I reached the door, I found that it took nearly all of my strength to pry it open. I was greeted with a rush of cold, musty air. I peered deep inside, unable to make anything out from the darkened corridor. A sigh escaped me. It was now or never. I took in another deep breath and crossed the threshold into the temple, unaware of where the winding hallways would lead.
The murals on the walls of the hallway spoke a language I had (up until now) perceived to be only legend. They told the same tale that Vorador had told me when I was a mere fledgling. They told of the Great War and the reasons why the Pillars once kept a silent watch over the land. Accompanying these detailed murals were various symbols of which I had never laid eyes upon before. I made my way to yet another massive door, bearing one such symbol, interestingly similar in design of that of the Sarafan Order. I ran my hand across the door's etching - tracing it slowly. Was I now in another stronghold of the Sarafan? It couldn't possibly be. This symbol was dark and twisted - not prestigious or "holy" as that of the Sarafan. What did this sinister mockery mean? Upon nearly completing my study of the symbol, the massive door on which it was engraved cracked open, allowing a hint of bright light to emanate from inside. The corridor in which I stood grew colder, and I could sense that somehow, that I was no longer alone.
I had arrived on the outskirts of a rather unfamiliar place. I scanned my surroundings and pinpointed a village just to the north, towards which I had begun to walk. Nosgoth had indeed changed since I last roamed its surface. The foliage was confined to small areas that had once been the vast forests of yesterday. Now silenced were the exuberant sounds of nature - the birds, the creatures of the night. The sky was cloudless while the air reeked of tyranny. I shook my head at what this land had become - what Kain had forced it to become. It was then that I had begun to question whether or not this had been his intention - to damn Nosgoth for a second time. I continued to walk towards the village, cautious of my every step. I paused for a moment to look over a solitary sign that stood in the path before me. "Uschtenheim" - it read. Uschtenheim still stands?
"Aye. It is not wise to tread here, vampire." A husky voice spoke out to me. I instantly turned to the direction from which the voice had come, and was greeted by a portly gentleman slowly emerging from the shadows. I drew my blade and thus prepared myself for battle. The man merely snickered. "Fear not, creature. I mean no harm to ye."
"Who are you, and how did you know what I am?" I demanded as I hesitantly sheathed my blade. The man waddled his way to a nearby boulder and carefully eased himself upon it. "I know more than most. It is my curse, if ye will." The man smiled to me through a toothless grin. "I dun believe I've had the pleasure of making yer acquaintance, pretty one." He said as he extended his grubby little hand. "They call me, Breckins."
I refused his hand and responded not, yet somehow the little beast found amusement in this. "And a feisty one ye are." He chuckled as he shrugged. "Ah well, no matter to me, but to them folks in Uschtenheim, they may not take kindly to ye an' yer ways."
I stared back off towards the village of Uschtenheim for a moment, pondering on whether or not continuing my path was indeed a wise decision. "Tell me, Mr. Breckins, where does a creature such as myself find others of her kind?" I inquired.
Breckins chuckled. "Ye be lookin' for Sanctuary, is that it Lass?"
I simply nodded, trying not to seem too eager in locating the rest of my race. Breckins removed himself from the boulder and approached me. Taking my hand into his, he pulled me to bend over, where he looked around before whispering into my ear. "There be a city of to the northwest, but I warn ye, they do not take kindly to strangers."
I rose back to fully stand. "And what of this city? What is it called? How will I know when I reach it?"
Breckins smiled. "My dear I'm afraid ye wun miss it. It's a fortress - massive in size." He described as he flailed his arms about in order to give me a better idea. "Travel on to the abyss, then off to the northwest, and there ye'll be greeted by the Citadel."
"The Citadel?" I questioned. "What kind of establishment is that?"
The sound of villagers approaching from Uschtenheim caught my ear, as Breckins was about to reveal his information. "Hurry on with ye, Lass, ye haven't much time. Trust me. The Citadel will protect you."
"There's one! Get it!" Shouted a villager.
I would soon find myself in quite the predicament. As I took off running into the woods, I glanced back and found the little man, Breckins, defending me, by fighting with my would-be attackers. As I vanished into the cover of the forest, I knew that I could no longer properly navigate my way. I stopped briefly, scanning my entire surroundings for a way out. Again, I could hear the angry mob of villagers fast approaching with their dogs hot on my trail. "She went this way, c'mon!" One shouted.
I was quick to draw in a deep breath as I began to focus on the only place that I still remembered from the top of my head - the Pillars. I opened my eyes and was greeted with a villager drawing his sword upon me, but before he could strike me down, I vanished from sight - evading death once more.
I appeared in the meadow, totally encircled by mist and very disoriented. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I began to relax from my recent ordeal. My eyes were quick to focus on a massive doorway leading into an ornate temple nearly fifty yards from where I stood. Where was I now? I tried to probe into the deepest recesses of my own mind to remember that doorway and the temple, but alas, I had come up empty handed.
Fearing a defeat in my rushed teleportation, I lowered my head and began walking in the direction of the strange building. I looked around, procrastinating my venture inside. As I reached the door, I found that it took nearly all of my strength to pry it open. I was greeted with a rush of cold, musty air. I peered deep inside, unable to make anything out from the darkened corridor. A sigh escaped me. It was now or never. I took in another deep breath and crossed the threshold into the temple, unaware of where the winding hallways would lead.
The murals on the walls of the hallway spoke a language I had (up until now) perceived to be only legend. They told the same tale that Vorador had told me when I was a mere fledgling. They told of the Great War and the reasons why the Pillars once kept a silent watch over the land. Accompanying these detailed murals were various symbols of which I had never laid eyes upon before. I made my way to yet another massive door, bearing one such symbol, interestingly similar in design of that of the Sarafan Order. I ran my hand across the door's etching - tracing it slowly. Was I now in another stronghold of the Sarafan? It couldn't possibly be. This symbol was dark and twisted - not prestigious or "holy" as that of the Sarafan. What did this sinister mockery mean? Upon nearly completing my study of the symbol, the massive door on which it was engraved cracked open, allowing a hint of bright light to emanate from inside. The corridor in which I stood grew colder, and I could sense that somehow, that I was no longer alone.
